Does homebrew have sugar in it?

[227bhp]

If I make (say) Cider at home, the yeast converts the sugar to alcohol so there should be no sugar left, correct?
Or not....

[227bhp]

How does that happen?

[227bhp]

I was having a debate with a GP nurse about diabetes, she said that you get sugar from alcoholic drinks, which I would say is probably generally true of shop or pub bought ciders etc, but not for home brew. I brew it until it stops fermenting so there shouldn't be any sugar left.
Agreeably yes, alcohol isn't much good for you either!

[227bhp]

There is no grain in apple juice

[227bhp]

I sought advice from a high level and it got quite complex - for instance, the initial sugar molecules are split into two and dealt with differently by the yeast (and other gubbins).
If the yeast out weighs the sugar (in strength) then it will use up all of which it can. BUT! There are different types of sugar and it doesn't or can't use all of them so some kinds of sugars may still be present. Whether they are the kinds of sugar which can affect a diabetic person i'm not sure.

[227bhp]

Jambo85 said:

227bhp said:

I sought advice from a high level and it got quite complex - for instance, the initial sugar molecules are split into two and dealt with differently by the yeast (and other gubbins).
If the yeast out weighs the sugar (in strength) then it will use up all of which it can. BUT! There are different types of sugar and it doesn't or can't use all of them so some kinds of sugars may still be present. Whether they are the kinds of sugar which can affect a diabetic person i'm not sure.

Aye - but as said already in the specific case of cider which you mentioned the different types of sugar wouldn't be an issue as fructose and glucost are completely fermentable. Honey is composed of the same sugars so mead is another alternative. Unless the alcohol tolerance of the yeast is reached before all sugar is fermented or it is back sweetened after killing off the yeast.

I brew it until all the fermentable sugars are gone so forget that. It's the other sugar types which it doesn't use that we are talking about and those are at the edge of our knowledge base at the moment without going into the deepest darkest depths of what an apple is made up of and what happens to the various components during brewing - it's far from simple once you really start to delve into it.

[227bhp]

Jambo85 said:

It's news to me that apples contain any sugars other than fructose, glucose and maybe a bit of sucrose - have you got a source?

Beer on the other hand can be full of dextrin/dextrose, depending on style.

Not an online source no, but earlier in the thread:

Sparkov said:

Not all sugars are fermentable by yeast, and so depending on what you start with there can be some sugar left in homebrew.:

[227bhp]

Jambo85 said:

227bhp said:

Jambo85 said:

It's news to me that apples contain any sugars other than fructose, glucose and maybe a bit of sucrose - have you got a source?

Beer on the other hand can be full of dextrin/dextrose, depending on style.

Not an online source no, but earlier in the thread:

Sparkov said:

Not all sugars are fermentable by yeast, and so depending on what you start with there can be some sugar left in homebrew.:

That will not wash with me sir, confirmation bias at its best I'm afraid

Sparkov in the same post also said:

With cider however, considering apple juice contains mostly fructose, sucrose and glucose (all easily fermentable by yeast), I'd expect all of the sugar to be converted into alcohol,

I've quoted him as an example as it agrees with what he said, he is not my source. I'm saying my source is someone I know, an expert.
Amazingly people do exist who are not 'online'.